A Life-Changing Decision

"Coming to China is undoubtedly a life-changing decision, and my family is extremely happy for me," said 24-year-old Emily Severn with a smile.

This girl from Nottingham, England, packed her luggage in June last year and flew more than 5,000 miles to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and now her life is like two versions of what she did in the UK.

According to the Daily Mail on July 23, Emily began studying Chinese while studying for a master's degree in journalism and met her Chinese boyfriend Mr. Wei during her studies.

Through the recommendation of her Chinese teacher, she successfully passed the TESOL (Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages) qualification exam, obtained a job contract and work visa from a school in Suzhou, and taught English in kindergarten and junior high school.

She only needs to work 13 hours a week, earning up to £20 (about 180 yuan) per hour, and her annual income is equivalent to about 100,000 yuan.

"The pace of work here is very relaxed and flexible," she said. In the UK, everyone is used to working overtime and catching up, but here, the boundaries between work and life are clear, and the time after work every day is completely your own. ”

She now likes to go to nearby ancient towns with her boyfriend on weekends, such as Mudu, Nanxun and Zhouzhuang, where tickets usually only cost £1 and include museum visits.

Reduced cost of living

Emily also revealed that her expenses are only about a third of what she used to live in the UK, but her quality of life has improved significantly.

Emily recalls: "When I was in Manchester, I lived in a university dormitory and the monthly rent was £850. But in Suzhou, my boyfriend and I live in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, living room and attic bedroom, and the monthly rent is only 2,200 yuan, equivalent to about 323 pounds. ”

She said: "If you go to the market here to buy groceries, you only need to spend 5 pounds (about 45 yuan) to buy a whole bag of food, which is enough for several days." In the UK, a week's shopping expenses alone cost at least 10 times as much. ”

"In the UK, I spend £37 a month on electricity alone, but here, I only need about 100 yuan (about £10) per month. The water bill is cheaper, and it only needs to be paid once every three months, which is also 100 yuan. ”

In addition to low prices, life in Suzhou also offers more free leisure options.

Emily said: "The park here is very large, and you can walk around any wetland park for three or four hours, and you can't go all over it yet." And most of these places are free. ”

"When I was in the UK, I might only take two or three thousand steps a day, or seven thousand at most. And here, you can easily take more than 10,000 steps in a day. ”

Different cultures

Emily's life in China has allowed her to save money and make her feel a completely different cultural atmosphere from the UK.

"In the UK, life can easily become monotonous, with the same rhythm almost every day," she said. But in China, there are new experiences every day, especially in summer, when light shows and park performances are dizzying. ”

Emily also mentioned that Chinese people attach great importance to family relationships, which makes her miss her family more.

"After living in China, I understand the importance of family more. While I really enjoy life here, I may return to the UK in the future because of my family. ”

Author: Life in Australia, published in Jiangsu International Field Creator